300 dpi jpeg images of the stamps are available for media use only by emailing mark.r.saunders@usps.gov.

WASHINGTON—Continuing its proud tradition of honoring state and territorial flags, the U.S. Postal Service today dedicated the third set of the Flags of Our Nation stamp series.

The series features the state flags of Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi and Missouri, and as an added bonus, the Stars and Stripes. The 44-cent First-Class stamps, printed in coils of 50, are available nationwide today.

U.S. Postal Service Deputy Postmaster General and Chief Operating Officer Patrick Donahoe dedicated the stamps today at the American Philatelic Society’s stamp show in Pittsburgh, PA.

“The flags depicted in nine of these stamps we dedicate today represent contributions these states have made to the development and growth of our nation,” said Donahoe. “Many principles these states exemplify can also be recognized within the Postal Service — diversity, unity, pride and values. As the nation works to recover from the current economic crisis, the employees of the Postal Service work to bring you record-breaking service and a continuing commitment. I want to assure you, just as these flags wave and this nation holds strong, the Postal Service will continue to deliver for you.”

Last year, the first two sets in the series included the Stars and Stripes and the state and territorial flags of Alabama through Kansas. Stamps depicting Montana through North Dakota and the U.S.A. Purple Mountains Flag stamp will be issued in 2010; Northern Marianas through Tennessee in 2011; and, Texas through Wyoming and the U.S.A. Fruited Plain Flag stamp will conclude the series in 2012.

Artist Tom Engeman of Bethany Beach, DE, working under the direction of stamp designer Howard E. Paine of Delaplane, VA, created the highly detailed flag portraits on the stamps. Past designs created by Engeman include the National World War II Memorial stamp (2004) and the nation’s first Forever stamp (2007), featuring the Liberty Bell.

This artwork usually shows an ordinary scene or activity, or a typical plant or animal, and occasionally depicts something less commonplace. It is not restricted to official animals, flowers, and products; nor is it meant to showcase familiar buildings, landmarks, and monuments.

The Flags of our Nation stamps can be purchased at Post Offices, at www.usps.com/shop and by calling 800-STAMP-24.

How to Order the First-Day-of-Issue Postmark

Customers have 60 days to obtain the first-day-of-issue postmark by mail. They may purchase new stamps at their local Post Office, at The Postal Store website at www.usps.com/shop, or by calling 800-STAMP-24. They should affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes to themselves or others, and place them in a larger envelope addressed to:

Flags of Our Nation Stamp Set 3
Grant Street Station
700 Grant Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15219-1906

After applying the first-day-of-issue postmark, the Postal Service will return the envelopes through the mail. There is no charge for the postmark. All orders must be postmarked by Oct. 7, 2009.

How to Order First-Day Covers

Stamp Fulfillment Services also offers first-day covers for new stamp issues and Postal Service stationery items postmarked with the official first-day-of-issue cancellation. Each item has an individual catalog number and is offered in the quarterly USA Philatelic catalog. Customers may request a free catalog by calling 800-STAMP-24 or writing to:

Information Fulfillment
Dept. 6270
U.S. Postal Service
PO Box 219014
Kansas City, MO 64121-9014

Philatelic Products There are three philatelic products available for this stamp issue:

787563, First-Day-Cover Set of 10, $8.20

787568, Digital Color Postmark Set of 10, $15

Flags of Our Nation Collector's Folder

Collect the entire series of the Flags of Our Nation stamps. Purchase the Collector’s Folio, Item No. 786575, $29.95, that contains the Series 1 coil with mounts and placeholders for all of the Flags of Our Nation stamp series. Sets 1 and 2 can be purchased at www.usps.com/shop.

Flags of Our Nation Set 3 Design descriptions

1. Kentucky flag stamp
This is a navy blue flag with the state seal in the middle; the seal shows two friends with the words “United We Stand” above them and “Divided We Fall” below them. Snapshot art features horses and the state’s Bluegrass region.

2. Louisiana flag stamp
The state coat of arms at the center of the flag depicts the state bird, a pelican, feeding its young. Snapshot art shows brown pelicans in flight.

3. Maine flag stamp
The coat of arms on the Maine flag includes a “husbandman, resting on a scythe” and a “seaman, resting on an anchor” on either side of a shield featuring a moose and a pine tree. Snapshot art also includes a moose.

4. Maryland flag stamp
The colors and patterns on this state flag are from the coats of arms of two of Maryland’s founding families: the Calverts (yellow and black) and the Crosslands (red and white). Snapshot art shows a red-winged blackbird in a cattail marsh.

5. Massachusetts flag stamp
The flag holds the state coat of arms, which features a Native American holding a bow in his right hand and an arrow in his left hand; the arrow points downward as a symbol of peace. Snapshot art shows seabirds in flight, with sailboats in the background.

6. Michigan flag stamp
At the center of the flag is the state coat of arms; the word “TUEBOR” can be translated as “I will defend.” Snapshot art shows vessels commonly seen on the Great Lakes.

7. Minnesota flag stamp
The flag design incorporates the state seal, state flower, state name, and important dates in state history. Snapshot art features a grain elevator on a riverbank with swans in the foreground.

8. Mississippi flag stamp
In the flag’s red union is “a broad blue diagonal cross” emblazoned with 13 stars and bordered with white; the field has three bars of blue, white, and red. Snapshot art shows black bears in a wooded area.

9. Missouri flag stamp
The flag has three broad horizontal stripes of red, white, and blue; centered on the white stripe is the state coat of arms, surrounded by a blue band containing 24 stars. Snapshot art features a paddle wheeler on a river.

10. Stars and Stripes stamp
The 13 horizontal stripes represent the 13 original colonies; the 50 stars represent the 50 states. Snapshot art depicts the “amber waves of grain” of “America the Beautiful,” by Katharine Lee Bates.

# # #

Please Note: For broadcast quality video and audio, photo stills and other media resources, visit the USPS Newsroom at www.usps.com/communications/newsroom/welcome.htm.

An independent federal agency, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that reaches every address in the nation, 149 million residences, businesses and Post Office Boxes, six days a week. It has 34,000 retail locations and relies on the sale of postage, products and services, not tax dollars, to pay for operating expenses. Named the Most Trusted Government Agency five consecutive years by the Ponemon Institute, the Postal Service has annual revenue of $75 billion and delivers nearly half the world’s mail.